Snow remover



Nov. l, 1932. D. wANDscHl-:ER 1,886,069

SNOW1 REMOVER Filed March 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 CEM@ Nov. l, 1932. D WANDSCHEER 1,886,069

SNOW REMOVER Filed March 20. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 1, 1932 DAN 'WANIIDSCHEEB 0F DUBUQUE, IOWA,

PATENT OFFICE .ASSIGNOR F ONE-FOURTH T0 GERBIT ANDSCHEEB,v ONE-FOURTH TO JACOB WANDSCHEER, AND ONE-FOURTH T0 BEN' WANDSGHEEB., 'ALL or DUBUQUE, Iowa snow 'nnnovnn Application led March 20, 1928. Serial No. 263,089.

This invention relates to apparatus for removing snow and ice from streets, roads, and the like.

This invention is an improvement over the snow remover disclosed and claimed in my Patent #1,587,449, the general object of the invention being to provide numerous improvenients upon the type of snow plow disclosed in said patent and copendng application, in which areA illustrated la snow plow to the auger type, snow disposal means cooperating with the augers, and means for mounting the plow upon a truck, railway car, or the like.

One object of this invention consists in providing means cooperating with the augers of the plow to cause uniform passage of the snow, without clogging, to the snow disposal means at the rear of the augers. While I have shown such disposal means at the center of the plow, I wish it to be understood that it may be mounted at any point longitudinally of the angers.

A further object of this invention resides in the positioning of the lower augers so that the edges of their blades extend below the plow casing to insure removal of crusted snow and ice, and eliminate the breakage and distortion of parts which ordinarily come in.- to contact with said snow and ice.

Another object of this invention consists in providing means, in addition to the steering control, for "keeping the snow plowin a chosen path. n

This invention also consists-1n' certam'otlher features of construction and 'inthe' combinaf tion and arrangement of parts,-to1befl1ere inafter fully described, illustrated inptheac 4o companying drawings'` and.spejci'cal@`7 pointed out in the appended claims.

v In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which: l

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the invention applied tothe chassis ofa-wtrucfkgf Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing thesets of angers and rotary blower;

Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the plow as indicated by line 3-3 on Fi 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view s owing the application of the guiding means to the auger casing.

In these views, 5 indicates the main chassis frame of a truck which is mounted on wheels 6. An engine 7 having a drive shaft 8 is mounted upon the rear end of the truck to secure better balancing and proper distribution of weight. Shaft 8 enters a casing 9 to drive gears 10. A shaft 11, gear transmission 12, and drive shaft 13 provide means for transmision of motive power to the rear wheels of the truck in a conventional manner.

14 is a blower housing which is adjustably secured at 16 to a plow casing 15 of rectangular shape with an open front and top. The casing 15 is in communication with the blowver housing 14 by means of the circular opening 17 which, as illustrated, is arranged at the center of the dividing walls. A scoop 18 prevents any snow from escaping under the plow to the rear. Within the casing 15 are mounted an upper pair of angers 2O and a lower pair 20', on shafts 19. The right and left hand member of each pair have oppositely curved blades, hence as they rotate they cut the snow from the ground and deliver it toward the center of t e plow. When it reaches the center, the snow passes through circular opening 17 into the blower housing 14, after which the fan blades 22 throw it through an opening in the upper housing to a distant point to one side of the street or road being cleared. These blades 22 are secured to a hub 23 which is in turn keyed to a shaft 24, this unit bein rotated at high speed by gearing 10 and a s aft 27, through a universal joint and clutch mechanism indicated at 26 (the details of which are shown in my patent #1,587,449). In this manner the plow parts may be driven from the motor of the vehicle, lever 28 and cab control 29 serving to throw the clutch in and out at will.

It is readily apparent that, when it is not l,desired to hurl the snow at any great distance to one side (for example, in cleaning city streets) reduction gearing may be used to drive the fan at low speed and the snow, ma then be de osited in carts or other vehic es to be hau ed awa for disposal.

U n shaft 24 (Fig. 3l' is a inion 25 which is a apted to cooperate wit a bevel ear to drive the chain gearing 25 (Fig. 1 in any suitable manner, for example, as shown in m above mentioned application Serial Number 129,293. In this manner the angers are driven at less speed than the rotary blower.

The fan casing 14 can beI rotated so as to place its outlet in any desired position to enable the snow to be thrown to either side of the road. Its rotating means comprises an annular gear fixed to the casing as at 31, a pinion 32 meshing with said gear, and a shaft 33 with hand wheel 34 for rotating the pinion.

The plow device is attached to a set of frame members 35 (Fig. 3) which are fastened together to form a rigid triangle, the upper horizontal member 35 being pivotable to the main chassis frame 5 as shown at 36 so that the plow can be vertically adjusted. The means for adjusting comprises a control shaft 43 with a handwheel in the cab, a worm 42 upon the shaft, which meshes with a gear 41 mounted upon a shaft 39, the latter being journaled for rotation within a casing which is mounted securely upon chassis frame 5. A chain 38 is adapted to be wound upon shaft 39 at one end and the other end is secured to lower frame member 35 as at 37. 'Ihus by turning the control shaft 43 the length of the chain may be varied to adjust the plow in relation to the road or street surface.

From the foregloing it will be seen that the plow is attac ed to the front end of a vehicle and can be adjusted in relation to the ground. The cutting and conveying augers will force the snow which enters the casing to the center of the casing, where it will pass through the opening into the fan casing, the fan blades in which will throw the snow to one side of the street or road.

The lower angers of the plow are set so that their peripheral cutting edges pass slightly below the lower extremity of casin 15 as well as below scoop 18. Thus any har snow, ice, or other obstructions encountered on the road surface will be easily cut away by the rotating auger blades so that it cannot strike the casing or scoop to cause breakage or distortion of parts as in the constructions now in use.

The upper and lower augers as shown rotate in the same direction but it is evident that the may be designed to rotate oppqsitely. n either event, with the construction just described where the lower auger projects below the casing, I prefer to rotate said lower augerin the same direction as the wheels of the vehicle during forward movement. The advantages from this become readily apparent when it is seen that the lower auger thus acts as a roll wheel support for the plow, and if it stri es material which is too hard or too well fixed to be cut away, it will ride over such material, without damage to the plow.

Another novel feature resides in the employment of plates 21 within casing 15 to distribute the snow evenl to the upper and lower sets of augers an to cause uniform passage of the snow without clogging to the center of the casin and hole 17.

It has been foun that when a truck is used to push the plow in deep snow, and when the road surface is inclined and icy, the device may have tendency to be forced or to slide laterally from a straight or chosen path. In such circumstances it may be impossible to steer the truck to cut a predetermined swath by the usual method of turning the front wheels. To overcome this diiculty, a late 44 (Fi 4) is provided to one side o the plow, t is plate being secured to the casing l5. The angle between this plate and the side surface of the casin may be varied to present more or less of t e plate surface to the mass of snow and hence to change the lateral component of thrust against the plate.

In this manner the plate acts, much like the rudder of a boat, to steer the low. For varying the plate angle, a threa ed spindle 45, with square or acme threads of a pitch greater than the thickness of the plate 44, is mounted perpendicular to the casing. The lower edge of the plate may ride in the threads, or an elongated slot may be cut in the plate of such size that the metal on each side of the slot rests in the threads. A crank 46, at the outer end of the spindle, is used to rotate the spindle to cause the threads to move the plate. This crank 46 may be operated by hand or through any suitable device, (not shown) from the cab.

It is thought that from the fore oing description the advantages and nove features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Snow removing apparatus comprising a main casing, a casing at the rear of sai main casing and in central communication therewith, sets of horizontally mounted spiral conveyors with right and left hand parts for feeding snow in opposite directions toward the center and into said second mentioned casing, snow ejecting means within the latter, and baille plates mounted between said sets of horizontally mounted spiral conveyors.

2. Snow removing a paratus comprising a casing having an open ront and an apertured 'los back, superposed horizontally mountedspiral conveyors for cutting the snow in front of the casing and passing it to the aperture in the back, means adjacent the peripheries of and cooperating with said spiral conveyors distribute snow evenly to each of said conveyors and to prevent clogging and cause uniform passage of the snow, and means for rotating said conveyors.

3. In a snow removing apparatus, an ejecting means, a plurality of superposed conveyors for engaging the snow in front of the snow removing apparatus and feeding it to- Ward said ejecting means, means adjacent the peripheries of and cooperating with said conveyors to distribute snow evenly to each of said conveyors and to prevent clogging and cause uniform passage of the snow, and means for driving said conveyors.

4. In a snow removing apparatus, an ejecting means, a plurality of substantially parallel spiral conveyors for cutting the snow in front of the snow removing apparatus and feeding it longitudinally toward said ejecting means, and means adjacent the peripheries of and cooperating with said conveyors to distribute snow evenly to each of said conveyors and to prevent clogging and cause uniform passage of the snow, and means for rotating said conveyors.

5. In a snow removing apparatus, an ejecting means, a plurality of rotatable conveyors having their axes substantially in the same plane for engaging the snow in front of the snow removing apparatus and feeding it toward said ejecting means, and a plate between said conveyors and extending forwardly at least to the plane of the said axes for distributing snow evenly to each of said conveyors and for preventing clogging and causing uniform passage of the snow, and means for rotating said conveyors.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature.

DAN WANDSCHEER. 

